Costa Rica: Day 5 (Jason’s Island)

After a rough time getting to Samara and finding somewhere to stay, we settled into our little villa along the beach and as was mentioned in the previous video, put our suits on and got in the water (this is still Day 4). By this point, I was feeling a TON better (it’s amazing what antibiotics can do in the course of a few hours). Afterward, we got cleaned up and went into the village to find something to eat.

That night, we settled into bed with the rain coming down outside. Jason slept soundly. I, on the other hand, woke up to the dripping of a leaky air conditioner. After that, it felt as though I slept with one ear open the rest of the night. The drip, drip, drip of water dropping into the glass bowl we set underneath the leak kept me tossing and turning, anxious that the bowl would fill up and pour out, making a mess everywhere.

We woke up to Day 5 – what Jason and I would agree was our best day in Costa Rica. We had breakfast in the empty open-air, thatch-roofed restaurant in our resort and then headed down to the beach to explore. The sun was peaking in and out of the clouds and the air coming off the ocean was warm. This was, I think, the only time I put sunblock on and the only time I got anything close to a suntan during the trip.

We walked down the sand toward a rocky point that jutted out to a lone island Jason was very interested in conquering. We trudged along when the sand gave way to rocks and boulders until we reached the closest point to the island. When we got there we saw shallow water spotted with jagged rocks beneath us and the force of some strong waves that would make it difficult to get out into the deep and then start swimming. We did so, himming and hawing, as to whether it was safe to make the journey.

Once we got out into the water, we decided it would be better if I just went back. I thought I’d be able to make it to the island, but feared I would be really tired coming back. In the end, it was a good thing I didn’t go. On the return, navigating those shallow rocks would have been very tricky.

Before Jason ventured fearlessly out into the waves, he looked back at me to gauge where I was at, asking with his expression “Is it okay if I go?”. He knows this is normally where I would get scared, wondering if he could make it there safely and back.

I think I mentioned somewhere back in a previous post that I tend to be fearful of a lot of things. I never used to be this way, but since I met Jason my fear of death, of losing, of a lot of things has come out of the closet. I guess I am realizing that there are things worth holding onto in life (I don’t think I really understood this before) and am having a hard time loosening my grip when God asks me to.

But, this was an a circumstance where I saw that God has indeed been working on me. I just smiled and said “Go on!” (and then prayed, of course). Jason directed me to get back, farther way from the water so I could take pictures of him. I could tell he was very proud of himself, that he felt free and adventurous. I knew at this point, this was about being a man and being a man is, well, very important to a man. Not a time for Elisabeth to interfere.

As I scrambled across the rocks to find the camera, I realized that this one of the first times I cared enough about Jason’s joy that I set my fears aside. Well, really, God set those fears aside because I didn’t really feel them all that much. I just prayed and watched and when I saw Jason reach the shore and walk across that white sandy beach I thought to myself “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.” I knew he would tell me all about it in detail when he returned.

And return he did, a few minutes later (praise Jesus!). I gave him a big smile and I could see on his face that he felt like a million bucks (you’ll see it, too, at the end of the video). Afterwards we took a shower in the waterfall right behind us and then walked home, talking all the way. It was one of those talks where you share things, not really all that important of things, but you just connect. I hadn’t experienced that with Jason in quite that way before (which obviously I can’t really explain).

So ended Jason’s island day – a total gift from God during a disappointing honeymoon for both of us. Off to Monteverde (finally!).

Check out a satellite image of where we were at. You will see the cove and the beach we walked southeast along, with Jason’s island the farthest south. You can see on the northeast tip of the island where the white sandy beach is.

2 responses to “Costa Rica: Day 5 (Jason’s Island)”

hearing about your honeymoon brings back so many memories of mine! I think I probably got 10 hours of sleep total in our whole week in Rome, and jeff probably got 70. I read a lot:) I also remember some of our real connecting conversations while dining lazily (it takes like 3 hours to eat there… nothing’s rushed). There’s just such a difference in a relationship when you’re one flesh. It’s just so amazing. I wish more people understood the concept of real marriage anymore. It’s just so wonderful.